Kaibigan ng Lāhaina Concludes Their Financial Assistance Program with A Final Round of Tagumpay Pondo Recipients
Written by: Wendy Pias
Video by: Marc Leoj Cartagena
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Eric Arquero
Executive Director
Kaibigan ng Lāhaina
Phone: (808) 303-8289
Email: info@kaibigannglahaina.org
Website: www.kaibigannglahaina.org
Kaibigan ng Lāhaina Concludes Their Financial Assistance Program with A Final Round of Tagumpay Pondo Recipients
Lahaina, HI – [August 6, 2025] – Kaibigan ng Lāhaina, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the recovery and resilience of Filipino and immigrant communities impacted by the August 8, 2023 wildfires, concluded their Tagumpay Pondo project in early July. A total of $128,000 was distributed across 3 dates set between February 2025 and June 2025. Following the final selection of recipients in June, Round 3 Tagumpay awardees received their checks in early July.
The Tagumpay Pondo project was a one-time financial assistance offered to qualified applicants in the form of $1,000 awards. The word Tagumpay refers to the Tagalog words for victory or overcome, capturing the intention of the fund: to provide short-term financial assistance to assist the path towards victory for Lahaina wildfire survivors. Amongst the criteria for selection, applicants had to verify that they were impacted by the 2023 Lahaina wildfires and demonstrate financial need. The awards were intended to cover personal expenses to the wildfire’s impact, including, but not limited to: living expenses, medical bills, rebuilding, car payments, debt, and loans.
“We’ve found that many of our community members are working-class families who either lack sufficient insurance coverage or do not qualify for traditional social services,” said Sieny Corpuz, the Director of Community Operations at Kaibigan ng Lāhaina. “While these awards are not a long-term solution, they provide essential immediate relief to those who are struggling to get back on their feet.”
Kaibigan ng Lāhaina accepted over 200 applications from fire survivors, which reflected the need for direct financial assistance.
“The tides of recovery are ever changing, posing new and recurring challenges for many of Lahaina’s survivor families,” said Eric Arquero, the Executive Director for Kaibigan ng Lāhaina. “We anticipate that as the resiliency needs of the community continue to change, we will see greater requests for financial assistance. Our hope in administering this program was to provide temporary relief but also inspire long-term hope for our community.”
Tagumpay Pondo was funded by a grant from the American Red Cross and administered in partnership with Maui United Way. Although the organization has temporarily closed the fund for awards, Kaibigan ng Lāhaina intends to search for more donations to continue this financial assistance program.
To learn more about Kaibigan ng Lāhaina or to inquire about services, visit the official website at www.kaibigannglahaina.org, email info@kaibigannglahaina.org, leave a text/voicemail with (803) 999-6761, follow @kaibigannglahaina on Facebook, and/or subscribe to @kaibigan_ng_lahaina on Instagram.
